Facebook is one of the strongest Social Media Platforms. Today it has reached more than 500 000 000 users, who spend from 10 minutes to 3 hours on it. This illustrates a huge potential for businesses to gain direct contact and access with its target customers.

1- Facebook Ads

This is a powerful way to build brand awareness and offer promotions. The best part of Facebook ad is that it allows you to choose specific target market, by gender, age, profession and location. Each ad can have a specific daily budget, which can be modified at any time.

2- Tabsite

A very nice way to build a micro site on facebook, the tabsite offers an extra tab on your facebook page, which can be personalized to promote products and services or to give additional information about the company or project. This tabsite can be configured so new visitor could arrive to this tab first, which is filled with latest news

3- Cross-reference

Implement cross-reference strategy to promote your services and products on facebook groups and communities. It is always a good idea to ask for permissions before posting on other people’s wall. Make good relationships with other companies or organizations who will compliment with what you have to offer.

4- Facebook statistics

Facebook statistics is an important tool that allows you to monitor activities in your Facebook group.  This includes getting the stats for the number of visitors, interaction and new fans periodically. Monitoring the statistics can help business to build a well-rounded communication strategy.

Social Media is a great way to put a human face on a company, reach complete communities, promote services and products and enhance a brand.

Worldwide big corporations are using Social Media tools to do it (Particularly Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn) but somehow in Montreal and Quebec regions have not fully boarded the Social Media train yet.

Apparently some managers see Facebook as a teenager game, Twitter as a lot of small talk and YouTube as cute or funny videos; without realizing how interactive and beneficial those vehicles can be for their business strategies.

Here are 6 ways how business can benefit from using Social Media:

1- Communicate with Customers

Listening to what your customers say and participating in conversations or looking for feedback. Specially if your competition is using social media tools and you are not, this will put you in disadvantage.

2- Promote Products and Specials.

Advertise a product or service to current and potential customers. Using Social Media tools is also a great way let people know about specials and current promotions.

3- Conduct Surveys about new Products

Fast, efficiency and direct method to interact with customers about specific products/services and related questions. Its also easy to monitor users’ experiences and feedback.

4- Build relationships

Letting people know that you hear them, and want to help them if they have questions. Creating meaningful conversation and interaction with your customers.

5- Brand Recognition

Social Media vehicle are making it possible for your company to reach a huge number of potential customers. Getting your name out there to build brand awareness.

6- Generate traffic to a website

Creating additional traffic by posting updates that link back to your Website. Social media bookmarking tools like Digg, Reddit, and Stumbleupon can also generate traffic to your site.